Executive Suite: Merisel Appoints Industry Veteran Ronald S. Smith to President of Merisel Canada, Inc

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, June 15, 1998

Merisel, Inc. Monday announced that Ronald S. Smith has been appointed president of Merisel Canada, Inc. Mr. Smith is a 32-year industry veteran, having served in senior management roles with companies such as Honeywell Information Systems, Amdahl Corporation and NCR Canada. Mr. Smith's first day at Merisel will be Monday, June 22.

Reporting directly to Merisel Executive Vice President James E. Illson, Mr. Smith will oversee Merisel Canada's management team. He will be responsible for all aspects of Merisel's distribution business in the Canadian marketplace, developing strategies to increase customer satisfaction, grow market share and expand strategic partnerships within the industry.

"I am excited to have Ron join the company," said Jim Illson. "We have been engaged in an intensive search over the past few months to find the best person for this critical role. Ron has proven expertise in general management and a track record of strong financial performance within competitive growth markets.

"With the recent appointment of Kris Rogers as general manager of U.S. distribution," added Mr. Illson, "Ron's appointment rounds out the leadership team for Merisel's core businesses. I expect this strong team to accelerate Merisel's momentum in the months ahead."

Mr. Smith comes to Merisel from Quorum Growth Investment Corporation, through which he served as president and CEO for two high-tech companies based in San Jose, Calif. and Toronto, Ontario.

From 1994 to 1997, Mr. Smith served as president and CEO of NCR Canada Ltd., previously known as AT&T GIS Canada. Prior to joining NCR, he served as vice president of new business acquisition for mainframe manufacturer Amdahl Corporation, president and general manager of Amdahl Canada Ltd., and president and COO for French computer manufacturer Bull HN Information Systems Ltd. In addition, Mr. Smith was with Honeywell Information Systems Canada for 20 years, where he held a variety of sales and marketing management positions before his appointment to vice president and general manager.

"I am extremely pleased to be joining Merisel at this exciting time, with Merisel Canada just having surpassed the billion-dollar revenue mark," said Mr. Smith. "The company has an impressive management team in place, significant competitive advantages and an excellent opportunity to continue to strengthen its position in the Canadian marketplace."

Merisel, Inc. is a leader in the distribution of computer products and services to resellers throughout North America. Toronto-based Merisel Canada, Inc. is a Merisel, Inc. division and one of Canada's largest distributors of computer hardware and software products. Merisel Canada has been consistently exceeding industry growth rates and gaining Canadian market share.